Designline Eco-Saver IV Hybrid

[trainfan22]

But hybrid cars are weak and look like the afterproduct of eating too much Taco Bell. Hybrid buses are at least powerful enough to move and make more than enough torque to floor you.

 

LOL @ the Taco Bell joke. This post reminds of when I watched an 0-60 Toyota Prius acceleration video on youtube a while back, yes, I agree they are slow.

 

As for your second sentence, I agree, but they don't seem to like climbing hills though.

[w8Hou]

LOL @ the Taco Bell joke. This post reminds of when I watched an 0-60 Toyota Prius acceleration video on youtube a while back, yes, I agree they are slow.

 

As for your second sentence, I agree, but they don't seem to like climbing hills though.

 

They cant go over the bridge like the Verrazano Narrows at the highest govern speed, which is sad and it is not safe.

[Fresh Pond]

Wirelessly posted via (BlackBerry8520/5.0.0.900 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

 

But hybrid cars are weak and look like the afterproduct of eating too much Taco Bell. Hybrid buses are at least powerful enough to move and make more than enough torque to floor you.

 

Funny thing is that I'm in a Taco Bell now lol

 

On a more serious note, I love hybrid buses, but on the downside they're a lil crappy on inclines and in snow. Don't get me wrong, any bus is bad in snow, but it seems like the hybrids are worse

[Joel Up Front]

Well, they make enough torque to at least get moving, but I don't think those powertrains are well suited for the hills of the northern Bronx and most of Staten Island, as well as the ramps on and off all the bridges...

 

Speaking of the borough that the City of New York forgot, how did the RTS do there? Could they handle the roads?

[Infamous85]

Well, they make enough torque to at least get moving, but I don't think those powerplants are well suited for the hills of the northern Bronx and most of Staten Island, as well as the ramps on and off all the bridges...

 

Speaking of the borough that the City of New York forgot, how did the RTS do there? Could they handle the roads?

 

Lmao @ power plants.

 

And I wonder how the "mighty RTS" faired in SI too.

[theaveragejoe]

Does anyone know if Montreal is happy with this latest generation of NovaBus 40' models?

I know there were issues with the first couple of generations. I'm rooting for Nova to succeed in NYC. I'm very impressed with the artics on the M15 SBS.

 

Nova has come along way in 15-16 years since the 1st gen LFS , the current 3 gen LFS are doing great across Canada

[theaveragejoe]

sounds like the 3rd strike for Designline and your out ( 1st the Disney order 2nd order Baltimore and 3rd the MTA )

[Joel Up Front]

Lmao @ power plants.

 

And I wonder how the "mighty RTS" faired in SI too.

 

*Powertrains

[JAzumah]

What is the beef with hybrids? I don't get it.

 

My beef with the hybrids is that they are priced too high to recover the fuel cost savings. The only way it becomes a real savings is when the FTA picks up 80% of the bill. The MTA should only buy more hybrids with federal funding. Natural gas, on the other hand, is really cheap right now and it makes sense to buy more of those where they can be serviced.

[SoSpectacular]

I could be wrong but I think busfans don't like the fact that they don't have transmissions and they don't shift gears like a CNG/Diesel bus does, therefore they probably find them boring. On Auto message boards people hate on hybrid cars too lol.

 

Lol I'll admit it. This. This This.

[Princelex]

My beef with the hybrids is that they are priced too high to recover the fuel cost savings. The only way it becomes a real savings is when the FTA picks up 80% of the bill. The MTA should only buy more hybrids with federal funding. Natural gas, on the other hand, is really cheap right now and it makes sense to buy more of those where they can be serviced.

 

Well said. From what I'm told, and I hope I'm saying this right, the hybrids eats up just as much gas, if not more than a hybrid.

[LRG]

Well said. From what I'm told, and I hope I'm saying this right, the hybrids eats up just as much gas, if not more than a hybrid.

 

Don't you mean diesel?

[Cait Sith]

Well said. From what I'm told, and I hope I'm saying this right, the hybrids eats up just as much gas, if not more than a diesel.

 

A little less than a Diesel.

[INDman]

i thought the MTA was giving up on the hybrids because the money and fuel savings does not justify the cost. I had heard, (don't know how true this is) that they hybrids get about 2MPGs more then a diesel bus and they they have problems with snowy streets.

[LRG]

i thought the MTA was giving up on the hybrids because the money and fuel savings does not justify the cost. I had heard, (don't know how true this is) that they hybrids get about 2MPGs more then a diesel bus and they they have problems with snowy streets.

 

The MTA is not necessarily "giving up" on hybrid orders, but instead they're just going to order small quantities of hybrids (like 100 or so, small orders) instead of massive orders like the recent 800+ contract of the 2007-2010 Orion 7.501 Next Generation HEVs.

 

To add on to your last sentence, they don't perform going up hills as well either. On the mornings when I head to school on the S93, I usually board a hybrid and they only reach between 30 and 35 MPH going up the incline of the Verrazano Bridge. On an Orion 5, the bus goes up the hill between 40 and 45.

[BZGuy]

I agree with LRG, the hybreds seem weak performance-wise. Everytime I've gotten on either a OG or NG, they always seem like they are straining. That noise is straight annoying.

 

As far as the DesignLine...I was hoping the MTA would see the light on the bus. I rode it on the M42 and wasn't impressed. To me it didn't "fit" into to MTA lineup of equipment. I did'nt like it's looks and I though that tailswing that it has was gonna be a big liability in Manhatten.

 

After all the testing there were still alot of problems so it's better for the MTA to cut their losses now and buy either clean diesels or proven hybrids.

[East New York]

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Funny thing is that I'm in a Taco Bell now lol

 

On a more serious note, I love hybrid buses, but on the downside they're a lil crappy on inclines and in snow. Don't get me wrong, any bus is bad in snow, but it seems like the hybrids are worse

 

i thought the MTA was giving up on the hybrids because the money and fuel savings does not justify the cost. I had heard, (don't know how true this is) that they hybrids get about 2MPGs more then a diesel bus and they they have problems with snowy streets.

 

The MTA is not necessarily "giving up" on hybrid orders, but instead they're just going to order small quantities of hybrids (like 100 or so, small orders) instead of massive orders like the recent 800+ contract of the 2007-2010 Orion 7.501 Next Generation HEVs.

 

To add on to your last sentence, they don't perform going up hills as well either. On the mornings when I head to school on the S93, I usually board a hybrid and they only reach between 30 and 35 MPH going up the incline of the Verrazano Bridge. On an Orion 5, the bus goes up the hill between 40 and 45.

 

Now I see what the issue is. You all need a little less BAE, and a little more Allison in your lives. The Allison powered hybrids I have been on haul some serious ass! They take hills quite well, and have more than enough torque to get the job done.

 

Enter the BAE powered Orion VII. First off, they don't do all that well in snow because they are light, and they don't have standard transit sized tires like all the other guys.

 

Those of you who haven't been on a New Flyer hybrid will change your tunes a little I bet.

 

My beef with the hybrids is that they are priced too high to recover the fuel cost savings. The only way it becomes a real savings is when the FTA picks up 80% of the bill. The MTA should only buy more hybrids with federal funding. Natural gas, on the other hand, is really cheap right now and it makes sense to buy more of those where they can be serviced.

 

The whole hybrid craze is because they burn slightly less fuel. But because they are labor intensive, the savings come in at almost the same level as diesel, or CNG buses. CNG's will replace all standard diesels at Spring Creek, and West Farms depots. Clean diesel and hybrid diesel will dominate the other depots until fuel cell comes along. But I agree, the Feds should fund the large hybrid orders.

 

Lmao @ power plants.

 

And I wonder how the "mighty RTS" faired in SI too.

 

They dominated the city, and were the best along with their New Look older sisters.

 

*Powertrains

 

Powerplants = Engines

[Princelex]

Don't you mean diesel?

 

Ooops I sure did mean Diesel? LOL

[Joel Up Front]

Maybe it's because the NGs on LI have Allison transmissions (the DD50G and Cummins ISL-G/Allison B400R is a combo that has stood the test of time, but not LIB's crap maintenance) or it's because there are no hills, but the only time I see the NG CNGs struggle is when the operator doesn't know that the pedal is on the right and he/she has to crawl through traffic. They're better off putting the parking brake on and waiting it out becuase that jerking of the bus is annoying.

[BJC]

Lol I'll admit it. This. This This.

 

I've been on some NG HEV where the bus slip back into gear....no joke!

[trainfan22]

Does anyone know if the MTA gave these buses back to Designline yet? I would be shocked if they scrapped them, however it would kinda cool if they let them sit in ECH graveyard for years, so busfans who never saw them in real life would able to see em in the yard there. It would kinda be like this generation's version of the R110A/B cars, yes I know the r110s are subways cars, but, you get the idea lol.

[aemoreira81]

Does anyone know if the MTA gave these buses back to Designline yet? I would be shocked if they scrapped them, however it would kinda cool if they let them sit in ECH graveyard for years, so busfans who never saw them in real life would able to see em in the yard there. It would kinda be like this generation's version of the R110A/B cars, yes I know the r110s are subways cars, but, you get the idea lol.

 

Not sure, but I would expect DesignLine to try to sell off the technology and likely scrap the bodies.

[Grand Concourse]

What is the beef with hybrids? I don't get it.

 

So far the O7s are like the O5s boxy assed shit [sorry, I just don't like the apperance]. ~well to some extent the front on the NG O7 looks ok. But hybrids just have no 'personality'.

 

Ride wise, I do like the acceleration and the breaking, but they could do better by trying out something other than a 'box on wheels'. And as others have stated: costs too much for little return on the investment over a clean diesel bus. I'm gonna be very happy when those Nova lfs starts hitting the streets.

[Joel Up Front]

What is the beef with hybrids? I don't get it.

 

A lot of people hate them. I do because they just can't take as much as the RTS or Orion V could. Sure, the RTS buses and Orion Vs are more than 10 years old now, but they at least were easier to fix without all this business with lead-acid batteries, and they handled the hills and crush loads slightly better as well.

[St Louis Car 09]

 

A lot of people hate them. I do because they just can't take as much as the RTS or Orion V could. Sure, the RTS buses and Orion Vs are more than 10 years old now, but they at least were easier to fix without all this business with lead-acid batteries, and they handled the hills and crush loads slightly better as well.

People hate Hybrids,because they have no raw diesel power.Diesel engine power is sacrifices for an electric motor during acceleration hence the whining jet noise;In addition to the fact they are Low-floor and structurally cannot handle loads and bumpy roads too well.Ride a High-Floor RTS then ride a low floor hybrid.You will see what im talking about.